By Abrar Ahmad, Agence India Press,
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today refused to vacate his post for Congress. He said that he was CM for six years as per the decision taken with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi in December 2008. He was addressing a press conference here.
Omar said “when I talked to Congress president Sonia Gandhi before forming the coalition government in J&K in December 2008 there was no decision of Chief Minister Ship between the two coalition partners”. I was told that I would be the chief minister for the whole term six in the assembly. Hence, I am chief minister for six years, and the Congress high command is happy with my performance “Omar added, adding that not a single cabinet meeting witnessed any differences between the two parties and that 25 meetings had
been held in the past 2-years.
When media asked about fissures in the ruling NC Congress coalition to National Conference President Omar Abdullah intervened saying that the differences were speculations of the media only, we have no differences at all.
The issue of rotation of Chief Minister Ship has been raised by the senior Congress leader and former deputy chief minister Mangat Ram Sharma at a rally in Jammu in December 2010 when he said that the coalition can work smoothly ‘only if the chief Minister Ship will be handed over to Congress after Omar completes three years in office’ in January 2012.
Omar Abdullah said that 25 cabinet meetings held in 2010, but there was no point of rotation. He said that coalition government is working in complete unity to accomplish the development agenda it has drawn for the equitable development of all the regions of the State. He said that the alliance between Congress and National Conference is a post poll coalition.
Omar said he has written to the Pradesh Congress President Prof. Saifuddin Soz about 73rd amendment of Panchayat Act for discussion and recommendations by the Coordination Committee. “The Coordination Committee has constituted a sub-committee in this regard. The final recommendations emerging out of it
would be discussed by the Cabinet.
Omar said the whole controversies between the two coalition partners were created by the BJP to disturbing tranquility in the State.
He said that National Flag will be hoisted at all the district headquarters, Government buildings, Police and Army establishments besides at the Bakshi Stadium in the heart of Srinagar city by a Minister for the State.
He said that BJP trying to provoke Kashmiris and told BJP to bear the responsibility for any consequences out of their actions of disturbing the peaceful atmosphere in the Valley.
In reply to a question regarding the developmental activities in the State, Omar Abdullah said that all the legislators of PDP during the recently held District Board meetings praised the administration for delivering on ground. “If the leadership of this party can’t see the development, they might have shut their eyes or they are doing it for political compulsions”, he added.
He urged the Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to initiate dialogue with the Union Government for settlement of issues.
Farooq Abdullah in his speech said that the issues regarding Jammu and Kashmir have to be resolved by the people of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh through a dialogue process in which participation of people living across LOC is necessary.
He favored the dialogue between India and Pakistan in this direction and stressed on building confidence and friendly ties between the two neighbors for the larger interests of peace and development in the State. In reply to a question pertaining to the views of Mirwaiz regarding the failure of United Nation Organization in addressing Jammu and Kashmir issue, Farooq Abdullah said that as a Union Minister he cannot comment upon it, however, as the President of National Conference he agrees with the views of Mirwaiz adding that the Organization despite being useful in so many ways at the global level has failed in resolving many issues.
Reciting the maxim ‘Dair aayad durust aayad’ (better late than never), Dr. Farooq Abdullah welcomed the statement of Prof. Abdul Gani Bhat and said that he has spoken the truth ultimately though lately. The Union Minister spelt out his Ministry’s action plan for harnessing solar, wind, geo-thermal, water and biomass potential of the State for generating energy.
He said his Ministry is keen to help the State to generate more and more energy from non-conventional energy sources abundantly available in the State. “This would relieve the pressure on the supply and availability of conventional electricity in the State”, he said.
Farooq said Union Ministry has provided Rs. 130 crores to the State this year for generation of solar energy and electrifying uncovered villages in remote areas. He said solar plants for 69 hospitals with a total capacity of 1090 kilowatts are being set up in the State at a cost of Rs. 30 crores. As many as 73 Gujjar and Bakerwal basties are being provided with 15150 solar lanterns while as solar power plant at Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University, Jammu is also being set up at a cost of Rs. 1.50 crore and 50 kilowatt solar power plant at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium is also coming up at a cost of Rs. 1.13 crore.
The Union Minister said that under the remote village electrification programme of his ministry as many as 262 un-electrified villages and hamlets in the State are being electrified while 550 water mills and 1000 biogas plants besides 56 micro hydel programmes are in the pipe line. He said the Union Ministry has sanctioned 6 projects for Mata Vaishno Devi and intends to provide solar projects for Chrar-e-Sharief Shrine, Ragunath Mandir Jammu, Gurduwara Akhnoor and other places.“My Ministry has asked the State Government to give proposal for energizing all the Government hospitals, Civil Secretariat and other office complexes under the solar energy programme so that the electricity saved in these institutions could be
diverted to the local consumption”, he said.
Farooq said that the Government of India is tying up with the Government of Iceland in harnessing geo-thermal energy in a big way. “My Ministry intends to exploit potential of geo-thermal in Rajouri, Tatapani, Ladakh and other places in the State. We are also working for utilizing bio-mass for generation of electricity in the State”, he added. The Union Minister said that his ministry has provided over Rs. 474 crores for the development of new and renewable energy projects in Leh and Kargil districts and he is shortly visiting there to inspect the pace of work on various schemes launched in this sector. (AIP)